statuary

1 of 2

noun

stat·​u·​ary ˈsta-chə-ˌwer-ē 

plural statuaries

1

: sculptor

2

a

: the art of making statues

b

: a collection of statues : statues

statuary

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or suitable for statues

Examples of statuary in a Sentence

Noun

a fine example of late Renaissance statuary

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

With the help of 3D scanners and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) milling machines, artists like Barry X Ball, Frank Benson, and Tavares Strachan are rebooting classical statuary while speaking to the transmuted sense of self that prevails in the age of the avatar. —Glenn Adamson, ARTnews.com, 16 Dec. 2024

Thus Andy Dixon paints Day-Glo takes on Rococo romances, with sculptural nudes draped in loose tunics cavorting around pleasure gardens dotted with classical statuary; these same motifs are distilled into dainty arabesques and diaphanous whorls in the abstract canvases of Michaela Yearwood-Dan. —Rachel Wetzler, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2024

Adjective

The adjoining primary bath has a mosaic-patterned marble floor, statuary white marble walls and a seven-foot-long vanity with a quartz top. —Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 21 Nov. 2022

In the movies, Black characters were jolly statuary — hoisting luggage, serving food, tending children — meant to decorate a white American’s dream. —New York Times, 7 Jan. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1609, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

statuary

noun

stat·​u·​ary

ˈstach-ə-ˌwer-ē

plural statuaries

1

: sculpture entry 1 sense 1

2

: a collection of statues

statuary adjective